Charles Leclerc’s presence amidst Lewis Hamilton’s triumphant arrival at Maranello barely merited a footnote. Because the world strained for any fleeting glimpse of the brand new man in pink, Leclerc lurked within the shadows. He, too, drove 2023 automotive, logging 14 laps at Fiorano, sharing a second with the cheering tifosi trackside. But regardless of the deal with Hamilton, undoubtedly some of the vital driver signings in F1 historical past, there’s each probability of Leclerc stealing his thunder as soon as the racing begins.
Hamilton’s arrival is a confounding consider Leclerc’s pre-ordained ascent to the highest of F1, but it surely shouldn’t derail Leclerc. The 27-year-old heads into his seventh season with Ferrari off the again of his finest marketing campaign but, one during which he top-scored after the August break. Have been it not for Ferrari’s ill-fated June ground improve, which triggered porpoising and a time-consuming design rethink, Leclerc may have been a real title contender. He and Ferrari stand getting ready to ending a world championship drought that stretching again to its final constructor’s title in 2008. His second has come.
No person disputes Leclerc is without doubt one of the quickest in F1 over a single lap; there’s a robust argument he’s quickest of all. He’s a rarity in trendy F1 who can ship visibly on-the-edge qualifying laps, exemplified by his Singapore pole in 2019 when he hung the rear finish of the Ferrari out a number of occasions, with out dropping time by means of his lairiness. He additionally has phenomenal traction-sensitivity, with a exceptional skill to know simply how a lot to lean on overheating rear tires on the finish of the lap. That’s only one instance of his peerless really feel, permitting him to conduct his physics-defying dance on the tightrope of grip.
He’s a proactive driver, one who induces rotation at nook entry by overlapping throttle and brake. That’s simplest in a automotive with oversteer, which he makes use of his extremely management to handle all through the remainder of the nook. He additionally chimes with the driving type demanded of the present floor impact vehicles, adapting shortly once they had been first launched in 2022 and modifying his braking method throughout testing. His ensuing astonishing flip of pace has been there proper again to his karting days, ticking each field aside from the one marked ‘world champion’.
The caricature of Leclerc is that he’s quick however error-prone and unreliable in races, together with his ratio of 26 to simply eight wins cited as supporting proof, together with expensive errors he’s made previously. The view he couldn’t be trusted on race day was at all times exaggerated, however he did make too many errors – maybe exemplified by crashing out whereas main within the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, attempting to squeeze each final iota of trip of the automotive on ageing tires within the information he would drop behind Max Verstappen when he pitted. He’s additionally sometimes requested an excessive amount of of the automotive on qualifying laps, which is the draw back of that skill to tiptoe on the restrict. Each every now and then, he slides off the slim peak – normally adopted by self-beration over the radio.
Final 12 months underlined how far he’s come. The worst mistake in races was poor ‘middle-lane’ automotive positioning initially of the Austrian Grand Prix that led to entrance wing harm – and that was solely a minor error of judgement.
“Trying again at this 12 months, there hasn’t actually been any missed alternatives,” mentioned Leclerc of his 2024 season late final 12 months. “In different years, after I seemed again there have been at all times one or two races the place I needed to do issues that weren’t doable and it bit me. That might imply I’d get zero factors after I may have gotten 10 or eight factors. Even when that’s not a lot, on the finish while you add these up, it makes a distinction. This 12 months, I don’t suppose I’ve left any alternatives behind. That’s the reason I’m happy with the season.”
Many of the consideration was understandably on Lewis Hamilton when Ferrari held a pre-season shakedown at Fiorano earlier this month, however Leclerc additionally took the chance to blow out any winter cobwebs. Fabrizio Boldoni/Ferrari
Fulfilling the lifelong dream of successful on his residence streets in Monaco was the plain excessive level. His progress within the iconic occasion showcasing his evolution as he put behind him the ache of a Q3 crash in 2021 that precipitated undetected harm stopping him ranging from pole, then his failure to command strategic choices as successfully as his team-mate after main the moist race early on a 12 months later. Arguably, his ostensibly-straightforward win in america Grand Prix at Austin was extra spectacular given the exceptional tempo he confirmed whereas managing the tough Pirelli tires. His different 2024 win was additionally a tire masterclass, one-stopping at Monza.
Leclerc’s hadn’t traditionally been within the high class of F1 tire managers, though there are missed races that stood out on this rating earlier in his profession. One instance is the 2020 seventieth Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, the place he pulled off a exceptional one-stopper with lengthy remaining stint to web a fourth place that was much better than the uncompetitive Ferrari, efficiency neutered by enforced energy unit operation modifications forward of the season, deserved. Nonetheless, such showings had been sporadic and he’s developed his recreation to the purpose of contemplating tire administration turning from a weak spot right into a energy. And that goes hand-in-hand with Ferrari’s personal strategic beneficial properties.
“There have been a number of weaknesses,” mentioned Leclerc after I requested him about this in Brazil final 12 months. “First, after I arrived within the crew, tire administration on my facet was at all times a weak spot and now it really grew to become one among my strengths. Technique-wise, we’re in a a lot better place in the present day. Ravin [Jain, head of strategy] and his crew are doing an distinctive job and we have now carried out a giant step ahead.”
Leclerc has the right benchmark for the place he stands on tire administration this 12 months. Hamilton is a previous grasp at this, one thing informal observers won’t acknowledge given how typically he gripes concerning the prognosis of Pirellis in a stint over the radio. Maybe together with Verstappen, he’s the market-leader in F1. This will probably be a check for Leclerc, however in recent times even on weekends the place Sainz may beat him in qualifying, typically Leclerc had the race-pace benefit.
Leclerc’s contribution to the crew the cockpit has additionally improved. Whereas he hasn’t reached the extent of erstwhile team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr, Leclerc has improved from being one of many weaker communicators with no agency grasp on goings-on round him to a way more succesful one. The ensuing assertiveness, which he has consciously labored on, will stand him in good stead, though he should steadiness up the will to make the fitting name with guaranteeing he solely does so when he has the details and judgement to take action.
His wheel-to-wheel qualities additionally shouldn’t be underestimated. Bahrain 2022, when he out-thought Verstappen in a combat to the flag to win, stands out for instance of what he’s able to in relation to technique in an in depth combat. He’s proven he can weigh up danger and reward successfully, understanding when to powerful it out and when to offer room earlier than retaking the benefit later.
Leclerc’s already gained the hearts of the tifosi, however he’ll obtain Maranello immortality if he can win a championship with Ferrari. Picture by Ferrari
“I at all times get pleasure from wheel-to-wheel [racing],” he mentioned. “It’s at all times a really thrilling second of the weekend the place you’ve acquired to adapt to totally different drivers, you get to know drivers and also you adapt your driving type a bit as properly. When heaps is at stake, you possibly can take extra danger , that’s what I get pleasure from essentially the most.”
Leclerc’s evolving recreation has not but been examined within the depth of a world championship combat, which is one thing he’ll hope to be on this 12 months. However there are additionally weaknesses that he should nonetheless chip away at. For instance, in an understeering automotive he hasn’t at all times managed to extract the identical efficiency as Sainz may over the earlier three years. What’s extra, by his personal admission he struggles in low-grip circumstances, for instance at Monza or Mexico Metropolis.
“It’s not one among my strengths, qualifying on very low-grip tracks,” mentioned Leclerc. “I are inclined to push quite a bit in qualifying and in Monza and Mexico I at all times battle quite a bit. I’ve acquired to suppose much more with a view to end a lap and attempting to include a bit extra my will to push extraordinarily onerous in qualifying, as a result of it simply doesn’t work out on these tracks. You slide lots as a result of there’s very low grip. You’ve simply acquired to be a bit of bit much less on the restrict on these tracks, and I battle a bit extra to try this.”
These are the particular circumstances the place Leclerc nonetheless must chip away at his recreation to emerge as the absolute best model of himself. He’s held in excessive esteem by his rivals, previous karting rival Max Verstappen and Hamilton included, however has by no means absolutely been a part of the championship-fight narrative.
It’s a truism to name any driver’s season a defining one, however the stars seem to have aligned for Leclerc in 2025. He ought to have a shot on the title, however the arrival of Hamilton will forged an additional highlight on him. It may properly be to his benefit, permitting him to be taught a factor or two from the seven-times world champions to clean out the remaining tough edges in his recreation whereas exhibiting the world he can beat a seven-times world championship.
Hamilton may complicate issues – even at 40, he’s removed from a spent power in F1 regardless of his struggles of late with Mercedes – however Leclerc is aware of that is his second. So far as he’s involved, Ferrari is his crew and supplied the automotive is fast sufficient, he’ll count on to attain his future and develop into world champion.
And to try this, there was at all times the prospect he’d should beat Hamilton a method or one other.
